Apparatus for cooling beverages



June 6, 1933. Q SMITH 1,913,345

APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES Filed Mar0h.29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY June 6, 1933. LLC. SMITH 1,913,345

APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES Filed March 29, 1952 2 Sheets'-Sheet 2 Zmwwme JM/rH I N V E N TO R BY flax 8% ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i LAWRENCE C. SMITH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK APPARATUS non coomnedmvnrtnens Application filed March 29, 1932. Serial No. 601,749.

My invention relates to apparatus for cool ing beverages, and it has particular reference to a refrigerated cabinet or container from which there may be dispensed or served packaged goods and bottled and bulk potable liquids. i

It is desirable to serve various beverages or potable liquids such as water, carbonated drinks, and the like, at reduced temperatures,

, and, to facilitate such service, to provide a refrigerated cabinet in which the beverage may be stored and chilled prior to serving. Various forms of cabinets intendedlfor this use have been heretofore devised to include a water bath in which the bottles are kept,

and from which they are served in a wet condition, which is unsatisfactory from the viewpoint of the purchaser. In other forms, such as is shownin my prior applicatlon,

Serial No. 502,553, filed December 15, 1930,

' the arrangement is such that dry compartments are provided for each bottle, so that, upon service, no water or other refrigerating liquid is present to drip on the customer, and

the bottle and its contents are known to be properly chilled.

y The present invention relates to an improved form of refrigerating cabinet, wherein bottled beverages are quickly and effectively'chilled to the proper serving temperature without immersion in a wet bath, and wherein provision may also be made for dispensing bulk beverages, such as drinking water or 5 carbonated liquids contained in a separate receptacle. In general, the invention ha s as its object the provision of animprbved beverage cooling apparatus, which is efficient from'both the viewpoints of refrigerating capacity and facility in service. The invenly in elevation, of the cabinet and parts of the refrigerating equipment; and

Flg. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

drawn on a somewhat larger. scale. 7

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the cabinet comprises a rectangular frame 10 having a substantially continuous deck 11 disposed at about the midportion thereof, dividing the entire apparatus into an upper box portion 12, in which the refrigerating effects are obtained, and a lower portion 13, in which is I mounted the apparatus for handling the refrigerant. The frame 10 is for-med of light structural iron, and the deck 11, as well as the side walls of the upper portion 12, are formed of spaced sheet metal plates, between which is disposed suitable insulating material, such as felt, aerated plaster, or the like. The details of construction here involved are well understood, and hence need no further description. It may be added that the outer surfaces of the lower portion of the box are covered with sheet metal plates of ornamental appearance, and at least one wall is provided with louvres 14.- at its lower portion, to admit air to the refrigerant condensing coil. The top portion of the deck 11 is pitched from its edges to the center of the compartment 12, so that any condensed moisture may drain out through a centrally Iocated pipe 15, communicating with the box 12 through an aperture 16 disposed in the deck 11. l

The top of the compartment 12 is covered by a. pair of mutually hingedv lids 17; formed to engage the top marginal edges of the side .walls, so that, in service, access may be hadto either side of the compartment 12, without exposing the other side.

The refrigerant supply mechanism is mounted in the lower portion 13 of the apps.- ratus. Therefrigeratingplant may-be of any suitable type, and is here'shown as I. compressor-condenser-evaporator system, in-

eluding a compressor 20 driven through a belt 21 by an electric motor (not shown meansof which 'wa-rm gaseous refrigerant is compressed and delivered to a condenser 22,

and from which it is delivered to a pipe coil or evaporator mounted in the compartment 12. As systems and apparatus of this nature are well known in the art, and a variety of types may be employed in the present invention, further description is deemed unnecessary, excep t to say that the mechanism delivers working refrigerant to the compart ment 12, through an intake pipe 25 in response to the demands for refrigeration, and

withdraws-expended or vaporized refrigerant through a pipe 26, for return to the compressor 20.

Features of the invention, other than those found in the general combination of parts described above, reside in the disposal of the refrigerant coils in the box 12, between the intake and discharge pipes and 26. It will be understood, of course, that, in response to the demands for cooling effects in the compartment 12, liquid or vaporized refrigerant .29 is admitted, through suitable controlling valves, thermostats, or the like, to the coil in the box. Expansion of the refrigerant, and a cooling effect, is obtained as the refrigerant moves from its inlet to its outlet, so

2, that potable liquid, contained in or flowing through the cabinet, is brought to a suitable low temperature.

' As shown in the various figures of the drawings, the expansion coil, in which evapo- .8 rationand expansion of the refrigerant ocours, is in the general form of serpentine and superimposed convolutions of a continuous pi one end of which is attached to the intake? pipe 25, and the other end of which terminates in the outlet pipe 26. I The specific method of disposing the coil may be described or traced as follows. Beginning withthe pipe 25, which passes through the insulation in the rear wall of the compartment 12. the coil 40 asses downwardly, as indicated bythe numeral 27. .to a point adjacent the lower deck 11, and thence is turned at a right angle to,

' follow the lower deck 11 to a point adjacent the side wall opposite the pipe 25. Here the .45 pipe makesareturn bend 28, in the plane of the deck 11, to follow the first described length of pipe lying in the deck, and, upon approaching the rear wall of the box, again makes a ,return bend, as indicated at 29. I In this fashion,the coil follows a serpentine path along.

the bottomof. the compartment 12, winding from side wall to side wall, with the succes-' 'siv'e convolutions definitely spaced, for reasons hereinafter set forth. .155 Arriving at the opposite endofthe box as indicated by the numeral 31 (Fig. 3);, the coil nowisbent upwardly through a right angle 32, to follow the rear wall of the box, and is then again bent through "another right angle ;-Q0 33, to direct the coil into a horizontal direction, and in the vertical plane passing through the bend 31, or,-'-in other words, parallel to .the. end. wall of the compartment 12. 'The {coil now passes, in the elevated plane, over the .1 05 several convolntions first formed, lying in theplane of the deck 11, and so eventually arrives at a point adjacent the pipe 27. At this point, the pipe is again bent upwardly and then back on itself, to form a third tier of convolutions, which may be traced in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 by the reference numerals 35 to inclusive. There is thus repeated, in an elevated plane, the path of the lower convolutions, and the pipe is now bent upwardly, as indicated by the numeral 46, and thence downwardly through an angle 47, to pass through the insulation in the side wall of the box, and thence to communicate with the discharge or outlet pipe 26.

By this formation of the expansion coil, there is formed a self sustaining structure, in which the various superimposed convolutions or lengths of pipe, passing from one side of the box to the other define a number of bottle receiving compartments 48, in which may be positioned, in an upright manner, bottles or like beverage receptacles 49. It will be noted that the coil is so formed as to divide the maj or portion of the compartment 12 into bottle receiving aisles or chambers, but that some of the convolutions, as indicated by the nu meral 40 in Fig. 1, are shortened, to provide a bulk' compartment 51 in which may be stored various other articles adapted to be dispensed from the cabinet. It will also be observed that the successively elevated planes of the convolutions, above the deck 11, are so disposed as to embrace the bottle over its entire height. I

In order to make more effective the cooling of bottles placed between successive rows of'pipe bends, U-shaped sheet metal panels 53, having a height approximately equal to that of the superimposed pipe turns, are placed over the vertically arranged rows of pipes, as illustrated in the various figures.

These panels fit closely against the various pipes which they embrace, and thus serve to keep them in proper vertical alignment. The illustrated spacing of the plates from the pipesfasshown in the drawings, is intended to avoid confusion in the'views, but

it will be understood that in practice, a n

snug and somewhat resilient fit is made, so that maximum thermal contact between the pipes and the platesmay be obtained. In

actpalpractice, moreover, the plates may be scored or indented just below the pipes, to insure contact, and, if desired, a few drops of solder may be applied at appropriate places, so that the plates will not work loose. The thermal contact thereby obtained enhances the efficiency of refrigeration, and eliminates. any tendency for the creation of relatively cold or warm zones along the aisles 48.,-'

. The'distance between the walls of the Iplates 53, defining the aisles. f8, shouldbe equal approximately to the transverse diameter of the bottle or other receptacle intended to be cooled. In this fashion, the plates are made tov contact with the bottle at opposed points, so that efficient cooling may bottles should contact with the plates.

57 (Fig. 2), in a horizontal plane and toating pipe. by means of a return bend 59,

Here the bends, somewhat akin to hair pin It will be readily appreciated that, while one manner of forming the successive pipe convolutions 'has been described in detail, other methods of bending, within the purview of the invention,may be'resorted to. Thus, if the refrigerating effect gradually diminishes throughout the length of the pipe, the aisle to the extreme right in Fig. 1 'might not produce as intense a cooling effect as the aisle on the extreme right. In this type, a warm bottle would be placed in a right hand aisle, and subsequently moved to a left hand aisle, wherein it would be maintained at the desired reducedtemperature, without overcooling. Likewise, by providing two or four. rows of pipe convolutions, the temperature and refrigerating rate may be made uniform in every part of the box. These variants, and others of like nature, are deemed to be within the purview of the invention. w

As thus far described, the apparatus may be readily utilized for the cooling of bottled beverages, or packages of material, such as ice cream, which may be stor ed in the compartment 51 until served. Means are additionally provided, however, for conducting a stream of liquid, such as water, through the cabinet, in proximity to the refrigerating pipes, so that the apparatus may be employed for dispensing cooled bulk, as well as bottled. beverages.

' The bulk liquid cooling system comprises a pipe line 55, entering the box on one end thereof, and following to a certain extent the r a refrigeratin pipe to a point on an opposite side of the ox, at which it is connected to a faucet 56. Specifically, this pipe, upon entering the compartment 12, follows, in the space-enclosed by the plates 53, the pipe bend 35, and then, following the angle 36 of the refrigerating coil, turns through a bend ward the rear of the box. Arriving at-the rear wall, the liquid pipe bends upwardly as indicated by the numeral 58, then reverses onitself, and passes under the next refrigerbends, are repeated, and then, by 'means of a long bend 61, the liquid pipe is carried to the left hand side 0 the box, where the convolutions between adjacent superimposed rows of refrigerant pipe sections are repeated, until the pipe passes through a final hair pin bond 62, 63, .64, \and then through the cabinet wall and to the faucet 56.

It will be observed that there are fewer turns of liquid pipe than of refrigerant pipe, and, while varying numbers of turns may be employed, it has been found that the proportion indicated is suitable for ordi-'- nary uses. It will also be observed that the turns of the refrigerant pipe and of the liquid pipe are so formed that the liquid ipe may be positioned with respect to the re rigerant expansion coil by first forming the va- 1 rious bends, and then sliding the one unit in between the convoluti-ons of the other to effect the desired assembly. By virtue of the close juxtapositioning of the pipes, quick cooling is obtained, and the heat transfer takes place through a quiet zone or region,

not subject to heavy air drafts, provided by the U-shaped panels 53.

It is contemplated that the pipes willbe formed and mutually assembled without interlocking connections, to facilitate assembly, and that the entire assembly will then be dropped into the compartment 12. The

upright walls of the box may be readily provided with holes for receiving the sections of piping disposed therein, and, since the pipes are made of light metal, no difficulty is experienced in pullingthe ends/of the pipes through the aperturesformed to receive them.

Fromthe foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention provides a simple and effective cabinet-for coolingand dispensing packaged and bottled goods, as

well as bulk liquids. The various features 1. A beverage cooler comprising a cabinet, an expansion coil in said cabinet, said expansion coil-including sections of refrigerant pipe lying in common-vertical planes, metallic plates embracing the said se'c'tions, said sect ons being regularly spaced to provide dee bottle receivlng compartments, and a bulk liquid pipe formed with convolutions interposed with. certain of the refrigerant pipe sections, said liquid pipe convoluti'ons also-being embraced'by said metallic plates.

21' A beverage cooler comprising an' insulated cabinet, a refrigerant expansion coil disposed in saidcabinet," said coil being formed with convolutions lyin in spaced vertical planes to divide the ca inetinto a plurality of. compartmenas, there being a '130 plurality of convolutions in each of said ver- 5 tical planes, whereby a deep refrigerating zone is created, metallic plates embracing in thermal contact said convolutions in each vertical plane, the plate of one set of said convolutlons being spaced from an adjacent plate the diameter of a bottle, whereby bot tles placed in said zones may be cooled by conduction, and a bulk liquid pipe formed with convolutions adapted to lie within the plates embracing the refrigerant convolutions, whereby cooling of liquid flowing through said pipe may be effected in a zone shielded from drafts of air, means associ-' ated with the cabinet for circulating refrigerant through said refrigerant coil, and

means for admitting and withdrawing pot able liquid to and from said bulk liquid pipe.

3. A bottled beverage cooler comprising an insulated cabinet provided with inner and outer walls and insulating material between said walls, a convoluted refrigerant coil disposed within said cabinet, said coil being formed with a plurality of continuous pipe sections extending from side to side of said cabinet and disposed in a common plane and with an additional series of pipe sections disposed above the first named sections in regular order to provide a self sustaining coil defining a plurality of spaced aisles, and U-shaped plates positioned over the sections of pipe lying in common vertical planes and in intimate thermal contact with the pipe sections in said vertical planes.

4. A bottled beverage cooler comprising an insulated cabinet and a convoluted refri erant coil disposed within said cabinet, said coil being formed with a plurality of spaced continuous pipe sections extending from side of side of said cabinet in a common horizontal plane and with additional sections disposed in regular order above said first named sections to define a self-sustalnlng structure 1' having pipe sections in a plurality of vertical and horizontal planes, and U-shaped plates disposed over the pipe sections in each vertical plane and extending from side to side of said cabinet, said plates being indented adjaccnt the pipe sections to hold the plates snugly on said pipes'and in intimate thermal contact therewith.

LAWRENCE 0. SMITH. 

